What will be the next big perennial? Breeders say it takes more than a splashy plant to distinguish itself in the market. Therefore, the question is not what will be the next big perennial, but rather what perennial performs well enough in the garden to have staying power in the market for years to come.

The industry's goal is to have loyal customers who return to the same plants time and time again, not because of price, but owing to a plant brand that shouts top-notch garden performance and is synonymous with excellence, which gives them the secure knowledge that their investment will be worth every hard-earned cent.

It’s not necessarily an indication of a top-to-bottom trend in the horticulture industry, but one thing is clear from the results of the 2013 Greenhouse Grower Top 100 Grower survey: The largest greenhouse operations in the U.S are getting larger. Perhaps it’s a sign of things turning around after several years of a stagnant economy and an evolving customer base. Maybe the greenhouse industry is just continuing a shakeout, with the largest operations absorbing the production and space of growers who are leaving the market. Could be it’s simply the big continuing to get bigger to take advantage of the production efficiencies size can offer big retail customers and the growers’ own bottom lines. It’s likely some combination of all three. Whatever the reason, nearly a third of the growers in Greenhouse Grower’s 2013 Top 100 survey reported growth. Some of them significantly so. Ups And Downs Greenhouse Grower’s annual […]

After an early-evening fire that took firefighters 10 hours to extinguish, Green Circle Growers is already moving into recovery mode, making alternative plans for production and thanking the community for its support. “We strategically built our greenhouse and production facilities to minimize the impact of events like this,” says Scott Giesbrecht, co-owner and VP of sales at Green Circle. “In addition to having alternative production areas in other parts of the facility, we have great relationships with other greenhouses throughout the country if the need arises to have plants grown for us to satisfy our customers’ demands. This fire, while a significant event, only impacted 5 percent of the growing space we use, and we are already working on preparations to repair this area.” The 600-employee operation grows indoor and outdoor plants under 105 acres of greenhouse in Oberlin, Ohio. In a statement from Green Circle, Giesbrecht expressed concern for […]